


At A Split Second

by mermaidpen



Category: One Piece
Genre: Angst, Family, Gen, Hurt/Comfort
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-26
Updated: 2020-02-25
Packaged: 2021-02-19 02:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22903930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mermaidpen/pseuds/mermaidpen
Summary: Dwelling on one of the greatest 'what-if' questions by us, One Piece fans: "What if Sabo came and rescued Luffy and Ace?"Even Eiichiro Oda supported this question and drew a special page where Sabo came to save the two.This Fanfiction further touches into this scene in an alternate universe.I do not own One Piece. All belongs to the great Eiichiro Oda.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 67





	1. You Came

"Ace!" Luffy cried, calling out to his brother who was craddling his burnt arm as Akainu stared down at him with pure menace and murderous intent.

Yet as he took a step forward, he stumbled and fell down on his knees, coughing as he tried to catch his breath.

"Luffy! You've reached your limit!" Jinbe anxiously called out, making his way towards the boy.

Ace's vivre card, now fully reformed, had fallen out of his vest and landed a few feet away from him. As he crouched down in exhaustion, all Ace could do was helplessly realize that they've been struck down easily.

"Ace's Vivre Card..." Luffy muttered to himself as he spotted it and reached out for the piece of paper.

Just then, Akainu began to speak again.

With a loud, booming voice, he spoke, "The son of the Pirate King, Roger, and the son of the Revolutionary, Dragon. To think the both of you met and became brothers is indeed, a haunting thought."

Ace glared at him, as he went on.

"But know that your very bloodlines are a sin of the highest order. Your fates have long been decided. I don't care if every other pirate escapes here, I will not allow the both of you to leave here alive," Akainu declared.

Once more, he looked down at Ace with disgust before saying, "Now, take a good look..."

Glancing up, Ace saw that his eyes moved away towards someone behind him.

A struck of realization hit him, and his eyes widened in fear, his head jerked up in an instant. "WAIT!"

But Akainu didn't wait. He swiftly jumped over him, his fists billowing out clouds of smoke and magma, as he aimed for Luffy's head, who didn't realize his current state.

A few feet ahead, a man in a coat and a pipe in his hand positioned in a launching stance.

"LUFFY!" Ace screamed, panic and desperation in his face. Forgetting the pain and exhaustion, he leapt up and dashed for his brother, turning into a ball of fire to speed up more.

Luffy, upon hearing his brother's cry, looked up and saw Akainu lunging straight at him. But he froze; due to the exhaustion or fear, no one ever knew.

Right when Akainu was about to smash his fist on him, a ball of fire pushed him back, and the man who waited for this very moment, launched himself towards the scene.

Akainu brought down his fist, magma and smoke erupting around him.

It crashed right into the stone floor.

Because through the thick smoke came through Luffy, Ace, and the man who grabbed them safely out of the way.

Luffy and Ace were shocked. The man, with blonde hair, dressed like a gentleman, and a determined grin in his face, yelled at the top of his voice.

"..MADE IT IN TIME!"


	2. And We Are Saved

Sabo dashed a few good meters more, away from the admiral, before putting the boys down.

Ace staggered in his steps, as he covered his mouth in shock. Luffy's eyes widened in disbelief.

"It's been quite a while, Ace, Luffy," Sabo said.

"S-Sabo?! But how-" Luffy muttered.

"I'd love to start a storytelling session, but I'm afraid this isn't the right place to be. What do you say we escape this goddamned hell together?" Sabo asked.

"You're on!" Ace replied, as his crew members cheered in the background.

"Let's go!"

Less than a second, they made a quick sprint for the docks. However, Luffy suddenly slowed down as he heard the rapid beating of his heart. Black spots covered his vision as he staggered and fell onto his knees.

"Sabo..Ace.." Luffy muttered weakly, finally at his limit's limitations, blacking out right before he hit the ground.

The both of them turned back, and saw Luffy down.

"Luffy!" both of them called in unison.

Ace got to his brother first, as he lifted him up into his arms, shaking him awake. "Luffy?! Hey! Wake up!"

Sabo got a good look at his brothers, and they're in terrible shape, Luffy even worse. "Ace, I'll carry Luffy. You can't carry him as you are now."

"But Sabo.."

"Ace, please. We need to get out of here now. It's not safe-"

"WHERE DO YOU THINK YOU'RE GOING?" Akainu yelled out, turning his head around to look for them. As of now, they're too far away from him to be spotted immediately. Sabo then carefully took Luffy from Ace's arms and placed him on his back where he lay limply.

"Let's go," Sabo said, pushing Ace up for a run.

Out of nowhere, Jinbe appeared on Ace's side, frightening him.

"Jinbe! You're okay!" He cried.

"Yes, Ace-kun, I'm fine. We need you boys to escape as soon as possible," Jinbe replied.

"THERE YOU ARE!" Akainu's voice thundered, suddenly appearing in front of them. He shot out magma from his arms, creating a strong explosion that blew them back into the battlefield.

"Shit!" Sabo cursed, checking to see if Luffy was injured from the blow.

"He's really desperate," Ace muttered, wiping off the blood dripping out from his mouth.

"Sabo-kun!" a female voice called out from afar.

"That voice...Koala!" Sabo gasped.

Sure enough, a woman in a pink blouse ran to their side. Jinbe widened his eyes in familiarization. This was once the small girl they rescued...

"Sabo-kun, the ship is ready!" Koala exclaimed between huffs.

"You're not going anywhere!" Akainu yelled, getting closer towards them. "I didn't expect the Revolutionary to get involved with the war, but I'm more concerned with their Chief of Staff as brothers with these two brats. The world is always surprising."

Sabo glared at Akainu, his grip on his brother tightening even more. Glancing at Ace and Luffy, he thought, "I can't get them even more injured. I have to let them escape here safely! But he's blocking our way, and now, even Koala's in danger."

"This is the end for you!" Akainu yelled as he drove his arm in for the kill. As if time went agonizingly slow, all they could make out were horrified faces, whilst Ace and Sabo managed to move their bodies toward Luffy, hoping that they could, in a way, protect their little brother.

Closing their eyes as they braced for impact, nothing came to them. Instead, a strong force knocked them all out off their feet and were blown more meters away. The force was so strong that everything became hazy. Yet as the smoke cleared, Ace could see a towering figure before Akainu.

"P-Pops.." he muttered, before snapping out of his daze. "Pops!"

Whitebeard was blocking Akainu's magma fist with his massive weapon, yet it was obvious that he's losing strength because of the numerous injuries he already has.

"Ace.." Whitebeard called gently. "Take that brat away from here. I don't want him to die."

"Y-Yes! Sabo and the others will take him away from her-"

"Go with them, Ace. Escape this place," Whitebeard clarified, cutting him off. He knew that Ace will leave against his will because it would mean leaving his crewmates to die, but if he were to die, then Whitebeard and his crew's efforts will all go down the drain in vain.

"Listen up, Whitebeard Pirates! These...are my final orders as your captain!"

Every Whitebeard pirate turned their heads towards him, absolute fear plastered on their faces as they yelled at him in protest.

"Pops?!"

"What are you saying?!"

"No! Don't say stuff like that! I don't wanna hear you talk like that!"

But then he slowly turned with a fierce expression, bellowing loudly for everyone to hear. "IT'S TIME FOR US TO PART WAYS! YOU MUST SURVIVE AND RETURN TO THE NEW WORLD WITHOUT ME!"

They couldn't grasp his commands. Soon, the battlefield was filled with anguish cries from the crew members. Others though, accepted and understood him, pulling with them the hesitant members.

"No! Pops! Please!"

"Let's go! We need to escape!"

"NO! WE CAN'T LEAVE POPS!"

"Captain's orders! I know it's hard to accept, but we need to go! I'm sorry!"

One by one, the Whitebeard Pirates and their allies started to retreat to their ships, tearfully dragging with them the other members.

"GO, MY MEN!" He proudly yelled.

"What? What are you saying, Pops?! I can't leave you behind!" Ace yelled, furious at the thought.

Whitebeard let out an annoyed sigh, when his gaze landed on the unconscious Luffy draped in Sabo's back, he smiled again. "That kid may be persistent and stupid, but he's strong and he needs a brother. Well, two."

He swung his bisento with so much force that it threw Akainu away. The other marine soldiers were angered at this and launched towards Whitebeard.

Right before they could plunge their blades into him, they were blown away by fire encircling Whitebeard. He stood stiffly, then slowly turned at the source of the fire that saved him, his gaze landing onto an injured man with his knees on the ground and his head bowing too low towards him.

He smiled fondly. "There's no need for words," Whitebeard said, as if he knew what he was about to say. "But before you go, answer one question for me, Ace. Were you happy to have me as your father?"

Ace, now crying hard, eventually replied, "OF COURSE YOU WERE!"

Then, Whitebeard.. laughed. He laughed wholeheartedly as if he just heard a good joke and took one last look at Ace. "Then go and take your stupid ass out of here, my son!"

Still hesitant, Ace stood up and rejoined Sabo and Luffy, then made their way towards the ship.

"YOU'RE NOT GETTING AWAY, YOU PIECES OF SCUM!" Akainu suddenly launched out rocketing clumps of magma raining down on them. They smoothly dodged those, however, Sabo tripped, and quickly moved out of a falling magma towards him, but was unable to avoid the splash that hit his arm, burning it through.

"SABO!"

"SABO-KUN!"

Sabo let out an agonizing scream of pain, as the others went to his side.

Jinbe took Luffy from him, while Ace and Koala assisted Sabo. "We need to get on the ship, fast!"

But the magma rain is far from over. Akainu aimed the magma further onto the docks, causing explosions that pushed almost all of their allies' ships away. Even Whitebeard's Moby Dick and the Revolutionary's ship were pushed away.

"It'd be a shame to let the others escape. But if I can have your heads, it would be worth it!" Akainu said, referring to Luffy and Ace. "Now, the Revolutionary's Chief of Staff is an interesting addition as well."

"Oh no! The ships!" Koala cried. "At this rate, we're doomed!"

"Akainu is specifically targeting you three now!" Jinbe realized, keeping Luffy safely in his hands. "It doesn't matter if the others get to escape, as long as he'll have your heads."

"WELL WE AIN'T GIVING IT TO HIM!" Ace replied, looking out for a possible escape.

The ground suddenly shook, and he turned back to see Whitebeard launching a powerful earthquake that started destroying Marineford.

"WHITEBEARD'S GOING TO DESTROY THE ISLAND!"

"Whitebeard, you bastard. You're not giving up, are you?!" Akainu muttered in rage. Whitebeard only smirked to piss him off as he replied. "I'm letting my sons set off. Don't stop me."

"But without a ship, we're helpless. Oh God, please," Sabo said hopelessly. Then, as if Heaven heard his plea, a yellow submarine emerged from the sea. Bearing bold letters that spelled DEATH and a pirate's mark that looked similarly like some kind of virus, it was, without doubt,

"It's the Heart Pirates!" marines yelled.

A man in black with his head over his shoulder stepped out and called to them, "Bring Straw Hatter over here!"

"Straw Hatter? What a weird way to call him," Ace commented. "Who are you?"

Law stepped forward with his large sword on his shoulder, and spoke up. "Straw Hatter and I will probably end up as enemies, but I have nothing against him. It would be no fun if he died here. So I'm going to take him and you all away from this place! Let me take care of him now!"

"What?" Sabo asked confusingly.

"I'm a doctor!" Law declared.

"What kind of doctor carries a damned sword around?!" Ace yelled out, but Sabo grabbed his attention. "Ace! Now's not the time to be arrogant!"

"But Sabo-!"

At that moment, the marines started firing cannonballs towards Law. If they don't make a move soon, they'll be surrounded, impossible to escape.

For the first time ever, Law's face was contorted with fear as he yelled out to them. "Hurry! We'll be surrounded soon!"

"I know we should be cautious, but as of now, this is the only choice we have!" Sabo replied to Ace. "Head over to his submarine, now!"

Leaving Ace no room for arguing, they staggered and rushed towards the submarine.

"Hurry!" Law yelled out, commanding his own men to support them as well.

They jumped into the submarine with Law's crew prepared to support them. The moment they're on board, they were ushered inside as Law commanded to dive back into the sea.

"They're getting away!" the marines panicked.

"Shoot! Sink them down!"

"More cannonballs!"

The attacks went on as they made their escape. Inside, Jinbe laid Luffy on a metal slab on a large room surrounded with medical equipment. A bright lamp hung above them, the rest of them gazing around.

Law's men ran here and there as he entered the room and immediately examined Luffy.

Ace gently removed himself from Sabo as he assisted him on another metal slab beside Luffy. Sabo cradled his burnt arm, feeling the extent of pain just now and hissed. Law glanced over to him. "I'll take care of Straw Hatter first. You'll be treated by my men instead. Ace-ya, stay there. Your injuries are severe as well."

"Sabo-kun," Koala patted a hand on top of his as he tried to regulate his breathing, beads of sweat forming on his forehead. She worriedly stared at her friend, but Sabo noticed it and flashed her a forced smile, when he suddenly slumped and passed out.

"S-Sabo-kun!" Koala swiftly caught the man, his head onto her shoulder, Ace and Jinbe worriedly hovered onto him. "Sabo!"

Law looked up towards him. The magma burned half of his limb, and it was already in a severe situation. He jerked his head to his crew and demanded. "Someone handle this burnt man's arm now."

"On it, Captain," one replied.

Without warning, Ace passed out too, but luckily, Jinbe caught him as well.

"Ace-kun!" Jinbe gasped.

"They were too exhausted," Law said in realization. "Someone handle Ace-ya too. My hands are full on Straw Hatter."

"Please, take care of them," Jinbe pleaded. Law only nodded as he went on to work.

The submarine suddenly shook, and Law looked around in annoyance. "What now?!"

"Captain! We have an emergency!" Bepo freaked out. "The sea is turning to ice! And it's after us!" 

"Kuzan!" Law gritted his teeth, then commanded. "Full speed ahead! Don't get caught up on the ice!"

"Aye, Captain!"


	3. Finally, We're Together

_Beep.._

_Beep.._

_Beep.._

The continuous beeping noise lightly annoyed Sabo, slowly waking him up. He was still half asleep, yet suddenly, all his memories flooded his mind and he swiftly sat up, only to find himself in a bed situated in a dim room.

"Where..." he softly mumbled, putting his hand up to touch his sore head, bringing it down to his arm wrapped in bandages, then looked beside him to find Ace in a bed as well.

"Ace!"

Ace, at the loud scream, woke up.

"Sabo..you idiot... You're too noisy," Ace muttered but suddenly stood up from the bed and jumped at his brother.

"Sabo! Ow ow ow..!" Ace cried before wincing at his own hyper movements which triggered his painful injuries to act up.

"You're the idiot! Who jumps at someone when he's all covered in bandages?" Sabo chuckled.

Ace didn't reply, yet soon, Sabo heard soft sniffles from him. Sabo felt a few tears sting on his eyes as he patted Ace's head.

"Y-You're covered in bandages too, ya know. I missed you. I really do. I thought you died," he replied.

"I'm sorry, I know I left you and Luffy without a word, but I'm here now."

"I-I really can't believe it. Not that I didn't want to, but this is still quite the shocker," Ace muttered.

They stayed like that for a few minutes when the door opened and Law came in.

"Pardon me for the intrusion." Law greeted. "Sabo-ya, your injuries were light and mostly were scratches and burns, so you should be doing fine after a week or so. Ace-ya, yours are more severe, but nothing fatal, so take it slowly for at least three weeks."

"Thank you for saving us. We owe you our lives-"

It was only then that Ace remembered his little brother. "LUFFY! WHERE'S MY BROTHER?! IS HE SAFE? IS HE-"

"Calm down, Ace-ya. Mugiwara-ya is in the other operating room since his condition is more critical than the both of you," Law replied.

"Critical..? W-What do you mean?" Sabo asked dreadfully.

With a heavy sigh, Law carefully explained. "Unlike the two of you, Mugiwara-ya has been pushing his body beyond his limits. The escapees of Impel Down told me that he was initially exposed to a deadly dose of poison before they arrived at Marineford, and the injuries he received there were enough to let him lose a lot of blood."

"That idiot always does the craziest things," Ace commented. "How is he?"

"As of now, I've stabilized him, but he soon fell into a coma."

Sabo and Ace fell silent.

Hesitantly, Sabo asked, "A c-coma? So when will he-"

"I'm afraid I can't answer that question, Sabo-ya. It depends on Mugiwara-ya's will to live," Law answered.

That terminated the conversation. A few moments later, Law decided to leave them to rest, going out of the room.

The two boys stayed still, then Sabo decided to break the silence. "Hey, don't worry," he reassured, ruffling Ace's raven hair with his uninjured arm. "Luffy's strong. He'll wake up soon."

"He better be, so that I can beat the shit out of him," Ace replied bitterly. "What the hell was he thinking?! Storming into Impel Down and then Marineford?!"

"Obviously, to save you," Sabo replied in a sarcastic tone.

"I didn't...I never expected him to come save me," Ace retorted. He moved back to his bed and lay his weary body down. Sighing, he locked his gaze upwards. "That idiot...He was nearly killed hundreds of times that it scared me. And I didn't expect you to be here, either."

He turned his head towards Sabo. "How come you're alive? Dogra told us you died when that boat exploded to bits."

"I..I was saved," Sabo replied, awkwardly fumbling his blanket. "Guess who? It turned out to be Luffy's father."

"D-Dragon?!"

"The Revolutionary, Dragon," Sabo nodded. "He took me in, and unfortunately I lost my memories due to the accident. That's why I didn't come back."

He lay down on the bed and closed his eyes for a moment. Then Ace suddenly said. "As selfish as I may sound, I'm glad you didn't."

Sabo was taken aback by him, but he continued. "Because you left, I was forced to take care of Luffy myself. Sure, there was Dadan and the mountain bandits, but it was actually me who stood by his side and protected him as an older brother."

He smiled fondly. "Luffy, he...he gave me a reason to live. No, _he's_ the reason itself."

"I'm so sorry I left you both alone," Sabo apologized, turning his head to him. "Then again, I couldn't help but agree. If I hadn't met Dragon and the Revolutionaries, I wouldn't be here right now, reunited with you."

They soon heard voices from outside.

"You can't!"

"Why not?!"

"Ah! I'm telling y-no!"

The door opened to reveal Koala and Penguin behind her.

"S-Sabo-kun!" She cried, launching herself to Sabo, wrapping him in a tight hug. "I was worried, you idiot!"

"K-Koala.."

"Hmm... She's pretty," Ace hummed, teasing Sabo with a grin.

"N-No, it's not what you think!" Sabo blushed.

Penguin sighed in defeat. Law called him and told him to let her be, so he left the room, meeting Jinbe who wanted to see the two boys as well.

"Ace-kun, how are you?" He greeted.

"Oh, Jinbe! I'm doing good!" Ace replied with a grateful smile.

"It's great to see you two awake. You were out for a few days," he added.

"And I was worried sick!" Koala wailed. "They wouldn't let me see you, so it worried me even more."

"I-I see," Sabo replied.

"I contacted HQ. Right now, the Revolutionary's ship is sailing above us," she informed.

"Where are we headed to?" Sabo asked.

"I don't know. Perhaps somewhere far away from Marineford," Koala replied. "I didn't really ask Trafalgar, but I bet he either had a place in mind or will just stay underwater."

"Ace-kun, about Luffy-kun...he.." Jinbe trailed off.

"The doctor told us. Don't worry, I'm sure he'll wake up. It's Luffy after all," Ace replied.

"Ah, then we'll be going now. You boys still need a lot of rest," Koala said, getting off Sabo and walking towards the door, Jinbe behind her as he then closed the door softly.

Both Ace and Sabo felt at peace by each other's presences. The lingering feeling eventually put them to sleep a few moments later, where they both lay down in Ace's bed.  
  


A few days later, they were well enough to stand and walk around the submarine.

"Would you like to see Mugiwara-ya?"

Both felt excited, happy, sad, worried, and most of all, scared.

What would he look like?

Following Law, they stopped at a metal door as the doctor slowly opened it.

A rhythmic beeping sound was heard, followed by sounds of air venting out. It was dark; Ace and Sabo never tried to ask if the darkness was necessary or he just didn't really care about putting lights on.

Various machinery surrounded a metal bed with white sheets. Underneath the covers...was a young teen strapped in tubes connected into the machines. He looked wired, but probably the most heartbreaking thing connected to him was an oxygen mask over his nose and mouth.

The gruesome sight stopped the two just a meter away from the bed. Sabo slightly turned his head towards Ace with wide eyes, but snapped out of his shocked state when he saw the raven-haired man standing still with tears falling down from his eyes.

"His vitals are weak, but stable. These machines strapped onto him are keeping him alive," Law said, placing a hand onto one. "As for when he regains consciousness, it solely depends on his will to live."

Law walked past the two, deciding to give them a moment. He switched on a dim light, grabbing the door. "Touch everything but the machines," he advised, then softly closed the door.

Finally gaining courage, the two went near Luffy, taking a clear look of his state. He looked rather...lifeless. The colors were pale, and if they didn't see his chest rising up a bit, they would surely think he was dead.

"Luffy..." Ace whispered, taking his hand out of the covers. It was warm, thankfully. "I'm sorry. This is happening to you because of me-"

"Ace, we talked about this already," Sabo cut him off. Listening to Ace blaming himself annoyed him. It didn't sound right. "If you have nothing to say other than apologize, then let's just watch over him."

Ace hesitantly nodded. Grabbing seats, they stayed by their baby brother's side. The following days were the same, with the only reasons they'd go out of the room were restroom breaks, meals and sleeping. There weren't any extra beds in the room, so at night, they'd sleep on their own beds.

Days later, Law finally decided it's safe for the submarine to surface, joining the ship that guarded them.

The Kuja Pirates eventually caught up to them, as he was worried sick for Luffy. After a discussion with Law, Jinbe and the rest, they decided to head for the Maiden Island for safety.

Koala was able to get Sabo's clothes from the Revolutionary ship, and took extras for Ace. She spoke to them about the Heart Pirates' new destination, and so they decided to return to Baltigo and leave Koala to accompany Sabo.

At the moment, the boys took advantage by staying outside of the submarine, feeling the cool breeze against their skin, with the fresh scent of the ocean.

They're alive.

Koala and Jinbe, who talked to each other a while ago and got to know both, watched Ace and Sabo from behind, relieved to see them up and about.

"I hope Luffy-kun wakes up soon," Koala sighed worriedly, as Jinbe nodded in agreement.

"Let's go back inside," Jinbe invited her, leaving the two boys alone.

"This takes me back," Ace said softly, his gaze fixed onto the ocean.

"What do you mean?" Sabo asked.

"As kids, we used to look out onto the ocean until sunset," he replied, a nostalgic smile on his face. "When you..."died", we called it 'Sabo's Ocean'."

"Oh wow, what an honor to name an ocean after me," he laughed.

"Ne, Sabo, I've wanted to ask this to you for a while now."

"Hmm?"

"You said you wanted to become a pirate. That's the reason why you left ahead of us too, but because of the accident, you forgot about it," Ace explained. "Now that you got your memories back, will you quit the Revolutionary?"

"No," Sabo replied immediately. "I won't quit. The Revolutionary's goals are to overthrow the Celestial Dragons and the government. For the past years, that was my goal in life."

He turned around to lean on the railings, smiling as he closed his eyes. "But after I recovered my memories, I remembered what I've sought long ago; freedom. Then I realized that I already found it."

"I see," Ace hummed.

"We don't have to be pirates to be free," Sabo noted.

A seagull's cry took their attention, looking up just in time to see a newspaper falling towards them.

"It's the News Coo!" Sabo said as he ran to jump up and catch it. Upon getting a hold of it, the first thing he read was the headline.

**WHITEBEARD** **DIES IN** **MARINEFORD** **WAR! THE MARINES' VICTORY!**

Beads of sweat ran down his face as he tried to get a hold of the news. It perked up Ace's curiosity so he walked towards him, but it was too late for Sabo to stop him from grabbing the paper off his hands.

"NO ACE! YOU CAN'T READ IT!"

The moment Ace saw the headline, he froze. His eyes were locked onto Whitebeard's name, but the worst thing ever was the photo. It showed Whitebeard on his feet but full of wounds and a sickening large hole in his chest.

"Ace!" Sabo called, but he didn't hear it. He collapsed onto his knees, letting go of the newspaper. It was too overwhelming, he didn't know what to do. He began crying and hyperventilating. Luckily, Sabo was there to hug him and run his hand up and down his back to try to relax him.

"Ace? Ace! Get a hold of yourself, please?!" Sabo asked, but in reality, he was having a hard time to relax as well. Not only was he shocked at the old man's death, but also on how Ace will be able to take the news as well.

"P-Pops, no..." Ace whimpered. "POPS!!!"

Ace screamed loudly, alerting the others. Law and his men along with Jinbe and Koala rushed outside.

"Sabo-kun? What's wrong?!" Koala frantically called to see Sabo hugging Ace on his knees. Law spotted the newspaper near Ace and picked it up to see the headlines.

"Whitebeard's dead.." He declared, surprising everyone. Ace wailed, leaving Sabo panicked on what to do to him. Sabo hugged him tight, letting him be, instead. Comforting him was futile, and letting those mournful feelings stay inside him would do no good. So he stayed with him, while the others only stood straight as the scene went on.

Eventually, after a few minutes, he calmed down and passed out onto Sabo' shoulders due to the exhaustion. His brother picked him up, assisted by Penguin, escorting him back to his room for him to rest.

"Thank you," Sabo said, and Penguin only nodded, soon leaving them alone.

Sabo sadly stared at Ace. He's into too much grief and sadness right now. With Luffy not waking up and his only father-figure dead, his mind is in a mess.

"Don't worry, Ace," Sabo said softly. "I'll make up for all those years I've left you and Luffy."

He sat on a chair beside the bed and slept.

The next day, they arrived at Maiden Island. After an argument with the Kingdom's elder, they were instructed to stay in a gulf behind the island, away from the village as to abide by the law that states "No men are to set foot in the island," Luffy as an exception for his denseness and purity.

Around a week later, Law suggested Ace and Sabo to take a walk around the forest for exercising their physical and mental health.

An air of awkward silence surrounded the brothers as they walked side-by-side into the Amazonian forest. Ace looked stressed and Sabo only looked on.

"Luffy...still hadn't woke up yet?" Ace asked, slightly surprising Sabo at the sudden question.

"Y-Yeah," Sabo replied. "I talked to Law about it and he did say his medical stats are good. All that's left is for him to wake up."

They soon arrive at an open area, where there was nothing but short grass dancing with the wind and the hot sun right above them. There were also a few rocks where one can sit on, so Sabo led Ace to one and helped him sit down.

"I'm sorry," Ace said, his head hanging low, shadowing his eyes with his hair. "I'm being a burden right now."

"Ace, what are you saying?" Sabo said, annoyed at the attitude. "You're not being a burden, alright?"

"This whole stupid war happened because of me and you know it!" Ace cried out, shutting Sabo up. "If I wasn't stubborn enough to underestimate Teach, then I wouldn't have been captured and none of this would happen."

"Ace..." Sabo whispered sadly, listening to him as he ranted on.

"P-Pops...and my comrades..They died because of me. Now Luffy's not waking up, and I don't know when he _ever_ will.." Ace trailed off, starting to cry.

Sabo couldn't bear the sight of it. Among the three, he was the most cold-hearted and the bravest. When Sabo got separated from them, he became more brotherly and empathic. His eyes softened and then took Ace's hands, wrapping it with his. Ace looked up at his brother.

"It's going to be alright," Sabo smiled. "I'm here with you."

A gentle breeze swept through the boys, making Sabo's blonde curls dance with it. Ace felt warm and fuzzy inside, smiling as a reply to him. From now on, he won't be fighting his future battles alone anymore.

"Sabo-kun!" Koala's anxiously called out, surprising them. Sabo looked around and spotted the girl. "Over here, Koala!"

She hurriedly ran up to them and had her hands on her knees as she catched her breath.

"What's wrong, Koala?" Sabo nervously asked.

She took deep breaths and exclaimed. "L-Lu-Luffy's awake!"

Sabo had never felt so happy. Ace was as ecstatic as him, but as Ace cried in happiness, Sabo's smile faded away on Koala's anxious expression.

"What's wrong, Koala?!"

"He's rampaging! Looking for the both of you! Law said, t-that if he goes on, his wounds will reopen and he'll die!" She cried, and at that moment, a loud crash echoed through the forest.

Ace immediately rushed towards the crash, with Sabo leaving Koala and following his brother.

"Why is he acting like that?!" Ace asked as he ran, hoping Sabo would have an answer.

"I-I don't know! Anyway, we have to- ACE LOOK OUT!"

Sabo leapt to push Ace away from a boulder that flew towards them from Luffy's direction. It crashed into the ground, throwing them off.

"That idiot! He's injured, but still have _this_ much strength?!" Ace hissed as he stood up and helped Sabo stand.

"At this rate-"

"AAAAAACCCCEEEEEE!!!" A loud scream echoed off the forest, followed by the earth shaking.

Wasting no time, they hurried and soon found Luffy in an open area, heavily bandaged, with blood dripping out from his arms and legs, as he fell onto his knees, perhaps due to exhaustion.

"Luffy!" Sabo and Ace called in unison.

Luffy perked up at the voices and slowly turned around, slightly hesitant and scared. But when he saw them, the tears started flowing out, and like a little child, he called out to his brothers. "S-Sabo...Ace.."

He tried to stand up and run to them, but then his strength faded, making him fall, only to be catched by his brothers' arms before he hit the ground. They wrapped him into a tender hug, cautious over his injuries.

The three of them couldn't hold it in. At long last, after so many years, they find themselves alive, especially for Sabo whom they thought have died by the Celestial Dragon's hands.

Storytime will be another day. For now, they held onto each other as if they'll suddenly lose each other again. Luffy wailed, finally having his big brothers with him, these boys whom he had looked up to as role models.

Jinbe had caught up with Koala and was now in the shades watching over them. He was moved by the scene, that Koala swore she saw a tear drop.

"Luffy! Y-You idiot!" Ace sobbed, caressing his dirty cheek. "Don't scare us like that!"

"You _surely_ could throw quite a tantrum," Sabo laughed, trying to ease the drama. "Remind me not to mess with you next time."

"T-This isn't a dream, right?" Luffy whimpered. "Y-You guys are alive?"

Ace gave out a hearty laugh and playfully ruffled his raven locks. "Why wouldn't we be? And you saved me! I-I can't believe it!"

Luffy sniffled a bit then turned to Sabo. "S-Sabo, you're-"

"Alive?" he finished for him. "Well it's a long story, but let's save it for the banquet."

"Mm," Luffy nodded and went on hugging them both, as a cool breeze swept through them.

At long last, the world that has separated them with ill fate, brought them together once more.


	4. Connected Forever

When the drama faded, they made their way back to the Heart Pirates' camp. With Luffy hardly able to walk, Sabo carried him piggyback as Ace walked beside him.

The walk back to the submarine was awfully quiet. Whether they're too tired of what just happened or the aura Luffy emitted was too heavy.

"Everything alright, Luf?" Ace asked, giving him a concerned look. Luffy gently shook his head and leaned on to Sabo's back. "No, I'm fine. Just tired, that's all."

Ace only sighed and reached out to pat his head.

"Hey," Sabo called, slightly nudging himself onto Luffy to catch attention. "What's with the long face? Aren't you glad to see us?"

"Believe me, I am," Luffy replied. "It's just that... there's still something left that I have to settle."

"Something to-"

"Don't worry, I'm fine," Luffy reassured, although he doesn't sound like it.

But when they reached the cliff, the submarine was gone.

"T-Trafalgar and his crew-" Sabo gasped.

The brothers frantically looked all over the place but only Jinbe and Koala as well as a familiar face to Luffy remain.

The man was dripping wet, wringing his soaked shirt as he casually sat on a rock by the water.

"Oh, Luffy-kun!" he greeted cheerfully.

"O-Old Man Rayleigh?!" Luffy gasped.

"Yeah! I'm glad that I was able to find you so easily!" he informed him. Sabo walked up closer to him so they could talk properly.

"What are you doing here? I was just about to follow my Vivre Card back to Sabaody," he replied. That was when remembered about his friends. "How are the others?"

Unfortunately Rayleigh's answer wasn't the one Luffy hoped for. "They are not back yet," he confessed as he began to clean his glasses. Luffy looked severely disappointed and Ace took note of that, planning to ask him about it later.

"I left my Vivre Card with Shakky," Rayleigh went on. "Had I not done that, I wouldn't have been able to move around freely."

"Oh, that's right!" Luffy seemed to remember then glanced at Ace. "Ace, this guy's-"

"Former first mate of the Pirate King, Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh," Ace declared in a monotoned voice.

"I never thought I'd get to see the Captain's son," Rayleigh said. "Portgas D. Ace, a pleasure to meet you."

However, it was as if Ace was back to his stingy self as he hissed at the statement. "I'm not his son."

Rayleigh's smile faded. Ace turned his back to him and added, "My father is Whitebeard, and no one else. That man gave me nothing but a cursed life!"

"Ace..." Sabo worriedly looked at him.

"I know how you feel," Rayleigh said. "As the Pirate King, Roger gained not only friends, but also enemies. Knowing that he had a son, many people must've tried to exact revenge on you and threaten your life."

"It wasn't that simple!" Ace barked.

"I didn't say it _was_ ," Rayleigh retorted.

"Enough! I...I don't wanna talk about it anymore," Ace declared, walking behind Sabo and Luffy, crossing his arms over his chest as he closed his eyes to calm down. 

Luffy worriedly gazed at him, then asked Sabo to put him down.

"Can you stand up?" Sabo asked. 

"Yeah, I'm fine," Luffy replied, although he did stagger for a bit the moment Sabo set him down on the ground. He regained his balance and then stood properly beside him as he faced Rayleigh. 

Speaking of which, he held something up and looked at it with a fond look. "Here," he tossed it over to him. "This is your treasured hat, right?"

Luffy caught it and looked at it surprisingly, staring at it for a while then suddenly formed a smile. It was small, but it made Sabo feel light and hopeful.

_He'll be alright._

"Hey, that's your first smile in a while now," he beamed to him, and Luffy only made it bigger.

"Right, thanks," Luffy said sincerely before he put the straw hat back on. "I just don't feel right unless I'm wearing this."

"Now you look like the Luffy I know," Sabo said, lightly patting his head. He faced Rayleigh and asked politely, "Was there a pirate crew here when you arrived?"

"If you mean Trafalgar Law, he just left," Rayleigh replied calmly, putting his shirt back on, feeling it was dry enough. "He said you should take it easy for another two weeks."

"Oh, we'll take care of him," Sabo said, holding Luffy's hand.

Just then, they were visited by a large group of people from the Kingdom. Apparently, Hancock had ordered a few girls to watch over them for the past week, should Luffy wake up. There was a large pile of food laid out in front of Luffy, but surprisingly, he didn't seem to be too interested. 

It was meet and greet all around. Elder Nyon and the Snake Sisters greeted Rayleigh, except for Hancock who fawned over Luffy, expressing her relief and concern to him. He simply sat on the ground in front of the food with a blank look.

Ace and Sabo frowned. Luffy wasn't himself, and it made the both of them uneasy. They exchanged looks and nods then excused themselves to Hancock, and she let them be. The boys plopped down on the ground, side by side with Luffy, putting him in between.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Ace asked, trying to sound enthusiastic. He swung an arm over his shoulder, taking good care not to mess up his injuries.

"Yeah, Luffy! This is a feast! Let's eat up like the good old days!" Sabo added, getting an apple from the bunch and taking a big bite from it. "Mm! Delicious!"

But Luffy only stared at the food, as if he forgot how to eat, let alone forgot that it was the best thing in the world for him.

There was a loud rumble behind him, and it turned out to be Jinbe's stomach. Hancock noticed that he was looking at the pile of food and barked fiercely at him. "Jinbe! This food was not meant for you. It's for Luffy and his brothers!"

But then she soon realized that there was enough for everyone, as well as showing an inappropriate side in front of her future 'brother-in-laws', softly added that he could have a little.

Jinbe then sat down beside Ace, cautiously keeping an eye on Hancock should she suddenly attack him.

"Luffy-kun, let us eat the food they brought us," Jinbe said and began to help himself. He also beckoned Koala to join them, but the girl politely declined and sat down on the ground beside Rayleigh.

Luffy still didn't eat, concerning his brothers even more. Jinbe noticed this and beamed at him, halfway through eating a fruit. "Luffy-kun, eat! Eating is living!"

On cue, his stomach growled, and he patted a hand on it, remembering that this was his most favorite moment in life; Eating! Then he reached out to get a piece of meat from the pile, yet still, somehow in a hesitant manner.

But they were hopeful. And at long last, he took a bite off of it, followed by another, and soon he was eating in his usual manner.

"Now that's more like you," Ace smiled and he and Sabo ate along with him.

The boys enjoyed the meal, while Rayleigh and the rest happily looked at them.

The boys were halfway on the food pile when Rayleigh spoke up. "Now then, Luffy-kun," he got Luffy to look at him as his brothers, Elder Nyon, and the Snake Princesses looked up to see what he was going to say. "You said that you wished to return to Sabaody, isn't that right?"

"I want to see my crew," Luffy told him earnestly.

"Oh yeah," Ace gasped. "Now that you've mentioned it, I haven't seen them around at all."

"It's a long story, but we'll tell it to you later," Rayleigh told him. Then his kind look faded and was replaced with a rather unreadable one as he asked Luffy. "Luffy-kun, are you sure that is the best thing to do right now? Don't you remember what happened to you all when you were on the Sabaody Archipelago?"

At the blunt question, Luffy's face contorted with pain and fear, concerning his brothers again.

"Wait a minute – what do you mean _what happened_? Did something happen to Luffy's crew?" Ace asked, demanding for an answer. Having met them before at Alabasta, he had already considered them as friends, and knowing that something wrong happened to them alarmed him as well. But no one answered his question.

Rayleigh sighed, and Luffy lowered his head to somehow hide the painful expression he's making, reminiscing the memories of the recent events once more.

The memory of not being able to save even just one of them.

Hancock wanted to support Luffy, so she walked over to him, but Sabo was there for him immediately.

"I don't know what you're talking about, but if it's _that_ painful, then isn't it too sudden to discuss this?" Sabo interrupted, trying to sound polite but wasn't really able to. "Luffy just woke up and has been through a lot of stress; I'm sure this discussion could wait!"

"No, Sabo, it's okay," Luffy tried to stop him. "He's telling the truth."

"The truth or not, you're not mentally ready to deal with it yet," he retorted to Luffy.

"It's fine. I really wanna see them as soon as possible," Luffy forced a smile from his sad expression.

Rayleigh sighed, obviously feeling bad for bringing up such traumatic memories, but that didn't stop him from asking again. He had to let Luffy understand his point. "So will you just regroup only to go through that same tragedy once again?"

Luffy's eyes shadowed over, and both Sabo and Ace were fearful that he'd go crazy again. Ace was about to step in again into the conversation, but Rayleigh spoke before he could.

"It is your choice to accept it or not, but I do have a suggestion," he offered and the others looked up to him. Luffy pulled the brim of his straw hat downwards, his expression transitioning from pained to a fierce one.

"I am here to offer to train you," Rayleigh said simply, and everyone stared at him in astonishment. Elder Nyon gasped in shock and couldn't believe what he just said.

Sabo and Ace were shocked as well. But they stayed put, patiently waiting for him to speak again.

"For two years, I will train you to prepare for the New World," Rayleigh continued. "That should be more than enough to get you ready. Of course, during those two years, you have to be away from your crew and other distractions."

"Wait," Luffy interrupted. "Why can't they train with me?"

"Well, to be honest," Rayleigh rubbed his chin as he confessed, "This training is quite unique, and I doubt most of them can keep up."

Luffy thought it all over, as the memories kept on haunting him. This was something Hancock could clearly see, looking at Luffy in a sad way.

"Luffy," she said sadly before she looked at Rayleigh and spoke to him in an angry voice. "Rayleigh, what are you–"

But Luffy put up a hand, gently gesturing her to calm down and be quiet as he thought over it. Sabo and Ace also let him be, while Jinbe and Koala looked on.

"I think that this is what you...what all of you need the most right now," Rayleigh concluded.

Jinbe wasn't really convinced at the offer and spoke up. "But what Luffy-kun really needs to focus his attention on now is to heal...both body and soul. Wouldn't that be best?"

Luffy was torn between the choices offered to him as of now. He understood what Jinbe and Rayleigh really meant to say, but the welfare of his crew lay heavily on his shoulders. He promised them that he'll meet them again, didn't he? How could he possibly tell them this now?

"How about–" Ace interrupted, standing up between Luffy and Rayleigh, a hand on his hip. "–you train us along with him?"

"Ace-kun?" Jinbe asked in shock.

"We can't let Luffy face this dilemma alone. As his brothers, we should be looking out for him," Sabo added, standing beside Ace with his arms crossed.

"Eh? Sabo-kun?" Koala gasped.

Rayleigh was surprised at the statement, and so was Luffy. "A-Ace, Sabo!"

"Hmm, that is a good suggestion for me," Rayleigh nodded his head. "Both of you are... seemingly stronger than Luffy-kun, so you can definitely keep up with him."

"However, we'll let him heal first before we begin this 'training' of yours," Ace declared.

"Of course. It wouldn't be right to start training without a body fit for it," Rayleigh replied.

"Wait a minute, Sabo-kun," Koala called, walking over to him. "Does this mean you'll quit the Revolutionary?"

"What are you talking about?" Sabo asked, finding the question nonsensical. "I'm just going to train with Luffy for a while. Of course, I wouldn't just go without letting Dragon-san know about it."

"Is that so.."

"Ace...Sabo, are you sure about this?" Luffy asked.

"Of course we are, Luf," Ace replied, softly patting his head. "We can't just leave you alone, you know."

Rayleigh cleared his throat to return their attention back to him. "There is an island not far from here known as Ruskaina. That is where I suggest we will train for the next two years."

"Ruskaina?" Elder Nyon asked in amazement. "But that place is dangerous even to us here on Kuja. We normally go out of our way to avoid it. Most people could not survive such an extreme environment."

"So, what do you say?" Rayleigh asked Luffy, as everyone looked to him with their breaths held. It was up to him now...

But when Luffy looked up, his answer was already evident.

"Alright..." he spoke up. "I can't...I don't think that I could ever go through something like that ever again."

The day continued with Rayleigh offering suggestions on how to be able to send a message to Luffy's crew. After the talk, they let Luffy rest, while Ace and Sabo watched over him.

Luffy layed low for another week, spending the days resting comfortably with his brothers by his side. They took turns sharing stories, catching up on each other's lives, and that was when Luffy finally explained the incident with his crew.

A few days later, they commenced the plan they made to send a message to Luffy's crew. Then when they felt that he was finally good enough to start training, the brothers joined Rayleigh onto Ruskaina, where they would be training in the next two years.

_**Two Years Later....** _

The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow. Small snowflakes fell from the sky, and three tall, muscular boys walked together side by side. Ace was still half naked, sporting his cargo shorts and new accessories dangling on his neck. Luffy was now wearing an open, long-sleeved red shirt and a yellow sash tied around his waist. Sabo was wearing a thick coat, feeling envious with his brothers' insensitivity to the freezing temperature. Guess it had to do with their Devil Fruit powers.

"It's two years already?" Ace asked amusingly to his brothers.

"Yeah, time flies so fast, indeed," Sabo answered him, then rolled his eyes around upon looking at Ace in a pathetic way. "And Ace, I know you're literally fire, but wouldn't a shirt be a bother now, wouldn't it?"

"It's uncomfty," Ace replied back at him, placing his arms over his head. Sabo just sighed helplessly. "So, where are you gonna go now?"

"Hm, for starters, I guess I'll go look for the remaining Whitebeard pirates and meet up with them," Ace shrugged.

"I'll give Koala a call and have them fetch me from here," Sabo shared. "I can't wait to tell Dragon about the past two years. And I guess you'll be getting back with your crew, huh, Luffy?"

"Yup. I can't wait to see how they've gotten stronger," Luffy looked up at the snowy sky of Ruskaina.

"From here on, we'll be parting ways again," Sabo said, and Ace laughed at him. "Aw, Sabo! Don't go sappy now. We'll always be brothers, wherever we are."

"Shishishish! Ace is right!" Luffy beamed.

"Oh, we're here," Sabo said, stopping in front of the tree, Ace stayed by him as Luffy walked towards it, where there was a rock. On top of the rock was Luffy's straw hat, covered in snow, and Rayleigh's Vivre card sticking out of the band.

Luffy picked up the straw hat and brushed off the snow on top of it. He put it on his head, and at that, he looked just as how he used to be. Sabo and Ace can't help but smile at him. He wasn't this little brat anymore...He was now strong enough to make sure that he won't lose anyone ever again.

"Alright," Luffy grinned excitedly, and then declared loudly. "Let's go!"


End file.
